Naruto: Days After
by A.Z. Christian
Summary: After the events of the fourth shinobi world war and before Naruto's days as Hokage, the hero of the Leaf is victim of a downright bizarre attack in the streets of Konohagakure. As he struggles to juggle the obligations of being the village idol and a fiance and a shinobi he must first find and then face the mysterious new enemy who wants him dead.
1. Complacency

Smells as familiar as his reflection spurred the young shinobi forward. His new fiance gripped his prosthetic hand, trying her best to keep up with him as he raced for his favorite ramen shop. The village had been still lately, allowing the shinobi academy to hire several new chunin teachers. This lead to the promotion and severe overload of the man he was to meet. It would be the first time they met in weeks.

"Slow down. It's not as if he'll leave before we get there, Naruto." The Hyuga heiress pleaded as they passed the shops and restaurants lining downtown Konohagakure.

"How am I still late for everything?" The blond asked himself as he drug the small woman behind him.

"It's just right around the corner. Iruka-Sensei knows you've been busy today." She reasoned.

"That's not the point. I would have been on time if it weren't for-"

Naruto Uzumaki, hero of the fourth shinobi world war, was cut off as he rounded the corner to Ichiraku Ramen. Finishing his statement was not necessary as a mob of young and hopeful shinobi crowded the once small food stand. The restaurant, possibly more than anyone, had benefited from the young man's fame. Already having had several dishes named after the hero along with Naruto himself proclaiming that Ichiraku was the best thing in the world, in almost as much fever as when he exclaimed he would be marrying the Hyuga heiress, the restaurant became the go to hangout for fans to wait around for the legendary shinobi. A large round of applause and a swarm of outreaching hands was the first thing he saw as he arrived in front of the restaurant. Hinata instinctually gripped his hand tighter, calming his nerves only slightly. The second thing he saw was the indiscreet smile of Iruka who waited patiently in the restaurant.

"Okay. Hi, how are you doing? Thank you all. Yes thank you, please don't touch my arm. Yes it's a fake." Naruto expended all the patience and understanding he had as he waded through the mob. Answering as few questions as he could and pretending he did not hear the rest.

"Thank you all very much for the support. Naruto is going to eat with his sensei now, please don't bother him." Hinata's voice was sickly sweet as she addressed her future husband's fans.

Naruto greeted the kind face behind the counter as he always had. He was glad that not everyone revered him as some sort of deity as the woman simply gave him a wave. Naruto strode theatrically over to Iruka and the principal of the shinobi academy motioned to the private dining room in the back of the restaurant.

"The private dining room?" Naruto asked as he slid open the door.

"I'm afraid we would be bothered otherwise. Not that I mind the village adoring you. They should. It's just that we don't get nearly enough time to catch up these days. It's just me being selfish." Iruka explained as he followed the couple into the dining room.

"Who could ever call you selfish Iruka-sensei? Naruto is still a person after all, the village doesn't own him." Hinata chimed in.

"I just wish I could get a moment or two to talk with my friends, or leave on a mission without a goodbye party waiting for me at the village gates. I got young shinobi showing up to my house at crazy times. Wanting to see the Rasengan."

Hinata and Iruka both laughed. Not too long ago it would have been a hilarious proposition, ninjas showing up at Naruto's doorstep, only hoping to get a look at his jutsus.

"What? It's not funny, it's a nightmare. I would fight Sasuke a hundred times, before telling a young shinobi that he will probably never learn the Rasengan. But I have to do it every day. Wanting me as a master, it's not like I'm pervy sage or something." It felt good to complain, Naruto was expected to be so perfect lately. He was far better suited to having people call him worthless.

"You know, you taking on students isn't so ridiculous an idea anymore. I'm sure lord sixth-"

"Kakashi-Sensei." Naruto cut Iruka off.

"Lord Sixth." Iruka reaffirmed. "Mentioned something of the sort to me the other day. Wanting to know if I had any students that would be a good fit for you."

"What?" Naruto exclaimed, sliding even closer to his old friend and mentor. "What was he looking for in genins for me? Tell me Iruka-sensei. Did he want the most talented genins for my team? Huh?"

"Actually Naruto, he wanted to know the students whom had the most... caution. He doesn't want a group of reckless shinobi, running around with Naruto Uzumaki on the new team seven." Iruka said, all too happy to stop Naruto in his tracks as his ego threatened to spiral out of control.

"Well I wouldn't want to start out with the geniuses. I know better than anyone, great ninjas start from humble beginnings. If I were to take a team, it would be the strays. The kids hungry to make a name for themselves. Young shinobi-"

"That are just like you? Dear?" Hinata knew better than anyone what Naruto thought made a good shinobi.

"I guess so, yeah."

"Honestly Naruto. If you had started off with Jiraya instead of Lord Sixth, you would be unbearable. You can't expect the Sixth to put you in charge of a team of yous." Iruka was having a hard time believing Naruto couldn't follow his reasoning.

"Why not? I'm great."

Iruka pinched his nose.

The rest of the dinner was enjoyable, reminiscent of the time when the two eating dinner with Naruto were the only two who would have wanted to. Being honest with himself, Naruto preferred being a celebrity to being a pariah. He just, as his fiance constantly reminded him, had to smooth his edges out. He could no longer smell himself in public or throw fits when something did not go his way. He was no longer expected to only uphold the standards of a first class shinobi but now that of a role model as well.

Iruka surprised the young man with a complement towards that end. Naruto was barely aware of the effort he had been making to clean up his image, Hinata had done most of the work. Subtly steering him towards more public relation friendly choices.

"You've really become just like him you know. The fourth was treated similarly, even for a Hokage he was popular. People just... they just gravitated to him. And now you're the same way." Iruka struck a cord within Naruto as the friendly face from the counter cleared the mess the three of them made.

"It's a shame he's not here. He'd be proud." Hinata chimed in.

"Yeah. I hope so. I should have asked him for some advice on it. He was much more likable than me."

" _That's not entirely true._ " Kurama pitched in, through his telepathic link with Naruto.

Naruto sent a silent word of thanks to the monster inside of him. It was strange but Kurama's voice was among the most comforting for Naruto to hear these days. The nine tailed fox was not cutting him any extra slack just because he was a hero. The fox expected as much out of his host as ever, so the complements he offered were always genuine.

"So. What are you two going to do for the next few days? You haven't been back home very long, you're not going back out on assignment soon are you?" Iruka changed the subject, sensing the tension in Naruto that had come with the comparison to the fourth.

"I don't know Iruka-Sensei. I wouldn't mind a little bit of a challenge, if an S class or higher came along. Anything lower than A class is usually settled as soon as word goes out that I'll be the one to handle it. I'll probably go see Kakashi-Sensei, then maybe Sakura. Sai is busy with Anbu, actually he could need some help with something. That could be fun."

Hinata and Iruka both shuddered. The fact that Naruto considered black-ops work fun these days was a stark reminder that the lovable goofball was also the most dangerous shinobi in the world.

"Naruto. I don't like the idea of you wearing a mask." Hinata said earnestly.

"I don't think Sai would have him, Hinata. Naruto is strong but he's too loud for Anbu."

"That's uncalled for Iruka-sensei." Naruto moaned as they exited the dining room.

"Maybe. Anyway I want you to come by the academy while your home. Meet some of the kids, I want to tell them your story. A story of hard work and perseverance. And about the value of a comrade's life. It would mean a lot to them and me."

"Sure Iruka-Sensei. If you think it would help, I'd be glad to come talk to the kids."

Hinata looked delighted when Naruto agreed to spend time with the children of the village while Iruka paid the bill, though Naruto insisted he pay. Iruka was happy to pay for Naruto's food, as he had always been. It was all too nostalgic for the principal and he had to turn away from the couple as a tear or two fell down his face. He had missed Ichiraku Ramen with the obnoxious blond boy who struggled to keep himself groomed, to think that he would share the delicious food with a grown up and admirable contender for seventh Hokage and his beautiful wife was a dream come true.

Naruto allowed Iruka to leave first. Not wanting him to be subjected to the horde made of shinobi fans skulking around outside the restaurant.

As Naruto and Hinata walked out the door, a flat fifteen minutes after Iruka had cut out, the mob was excessively rambunctious. Hinata felt Naruto and Kurama's chakra become agitated as he was touched by unfamiliar hands. It worried the Byakugan master, seeing the violent orange chakra seeping out of Naruto. She knew he was doing his best to keep his smile on.

"Okay. Make way. Excuse me. Yes thank you. No, I'm sorry, I can't make a Rasengan now. It's dangerous that's why. Alright. Get out of my way, please!" The young man found himself incredibly flustered as the crowd continued to molest him.

"Get Back!" Hinata ordered, with a voice so harsh it could only be rooted in worry for her love.

As the crowd moved away from Hinata like fish away from a shark a nonextraordinary boy stepped forward. Naruto cocked an eyebrow in interest. What excuse would the boy have for needing to talk with him more than anyone else. As the boy approached the couple Naruto found himself befuddled, the boy made no effort to look the hero of the Leaf in his eyes, rather he looked through him.

A kunai appeared in his hand from thin air as he entered striking distance of the blond shinobi. Before he or Hinata either one could take a step towards the boy, Naruto caught the kunai in his artificial forearm. Naruto felt his blood boil. An unfamiliar feeling as of late. Someone had tried to kill him.

A single open palmed strike from Hinata sent the boy flying onto his rear. The crowd vanished in a manner so quick that proved they were all some level of ninja. Kurama had wrapped Naruto in his chakra, lighting the now deserted alley.

"What was that about?" Naruto asked distantly as he rubbed the hole in his fake arm.

"Why would you do that?" Hinata asked, viciously grabbing the boy by his lapels.

"I don't know. I had to." The boy said as he shirked away from Hinata's fully engaged Byakugan.

"What do you mean you don't know? Did someone put you up to this? Orochimaru?" They Hyuga demanded.

"I don't know."

"Hinata. It's okay. I'm not hurt."

"That's not the point." She snarled, her intimidating eyes never leaving the boy.

"We should take him to Sai."

"Or we could just handle it ourselves." Hinata growled, causing the boy to flinch away.

The Hyuga woman had always been able to terrify Naruto with her serious voice. He took her hand and pulled her off of the frightened boy, few things could cause her to be so intense. Stabbing her fiance apparently made the list. It made since. Naruto suspected she did not like Sasuke much at all.

"He's just a kid. He was probably put up to it. Are you even a shinobi kid?" Naruto asked.

"Of course I'm a shinobi. From Amegakure." The boy was surprisingly temperamental suddenly, as his status as a shinobi was called into question.

"That's a funny thing to say kid. Especially to me. We're taking you to Sai." Hinata explained as he jerked the boy from the ground.

"Yeah. If your from the Rain, there's no way around it. You're a prisoner kid." Naruto almost apologized.

"Says he's from the Rain? Why would the Rain want to kill you now Naruto? Did you do something?" Sai seemed to be interrogating Naruto rather than the would be assassin as the latter sat in a detainment cell.

"What could I possibly have done Sai? It's good to see you're still as much of a jerk as ever. He made no claims that he was acting on the Rain's orders. And if he had been I doubt he would have announced his village since he wasn't wearing a headband."

"Okay so what **do** you know?" The pale Anbu director asked.

"Nothing. That's why I brought him here."

"Well all I can do for now is hold him. I'm not going to wake Ino up at this time of night just because you got stabbed."

"Yeah, she needs all the beauty rest she can get." Naruto said pointedly, picturing blond Yamanaka that had always been less than friendly to him.

"Watch it." Sai ground out, confirming Naruto's suspicions.

"Alright." Naruto raised his hands defensively. "I'm gonna go then. I'm sure Kakashi-Sensei will want a written report or whatever. Let me know when you learn something."

"Later, Naruto." Sai called as his friend left through the door he came from.

Naruto simply raised his hand in a wave as he exited. As his hand dropped back down to his side he let out a curse. He had just wrapped the bandages around his prosthetic arm that morning. Yet another thing he wasn't looking forward to doing when he made it back to his apartment.

He was irritated, but not at all surprised, to find Hinata was waiting outside the Anbu facility for him despite him telling her to go home. His hands drifted up behind his head in his trademark pose as he and his fiance walked home together.

"What did Sai have to say about it?" She asked after a long silence.

"Says he'll get Ino to work on him tomorrow. Said he didn't want to wake her up." Naruto nudged his fiance in the ribs, as if she were Kiba and he had just told him a dirty joke.

"So?" Hinata asked.

"Well, don't you think that means they're-"

"Yes. Everyone knows they are." Hinata's eyes softened as the conversation drifted to a more pleasant topic, village gossip.

"Everyone? Even Shikamaru?"

"Shikamaru is very observant. He was probably the first to know." Hinata reminded Naruto.

Naruto answered with an innocent chuckle. "Yeah."

As they neared Naruto's home Hinata pulled his left hand down from behind his head. As they walked, hand in hand, the Hyuga woman noticed his seperated bandages. It didn't occur to her that Naruto could be injured anymore.

"You're cut." She said simply.

"No. It's the First's cells, the wound was healed right after the brat pricked me. Honestly it wouldn't have happened if he wasn't just a kid. It's hard to dial back an attack when you're going on reflex alone. I would have broke him into tiny pieces if I'd stopped him."

"Still. I wish you wouldn't be so reckless. You're not allowed to let anyone cut you on purpose anymore alright?"

"Sure thing."

"You're lying." The heiress said with an exasperated sigh.

"Hinata, I'm always careful. I can't just go blasting kids into the ground with a Rasengan every time one tries to stab me. I'm trying to be more... you know. Hokage-y."

Hinata laughed, a long and honest laugh. The memory of teenage Naruto running around hitting everyone and everything in sight with a Rasengan was something that used to be so serious. Now his biggest problem was refraining from using it.

"What?"

"You. Now you don't want to Rasengan people? It's just, I think Iruka-Sensei was right. You're becoming more and more like the Fourth." Hinata's complements were always the thing Naruto wanted to hear the most.

"I love you... Will you wrap my bandages when we get home?" Naruto seized the opportunity to ask his fiance to stay at his house.

"Naruto... Sure. As long as you write up your report of Lord Sixth-"

"Kakashi-Sensei" Naruto interrupted her concession.

"Lord sixth as soon as we get home. This is serious. You were attacked right out in the street. He'll want to get to the bottom of it. To see if Amegakure attacked his favorite shinobi or if it's some unknown enemy."

"Okay deal." Naruto exclaimed as he unlocked his door.

Paperwork was something the hero struggled with but was making a conscious effort to get better at. Kakashi had recommended he start getting used to it if he ever wanted to be taken seriously as a candidate for Hokage. The legendary copy ninja was now tied to a desk and he wanted his student to know what he was getting into.

A relieved sigh escaped the blond shinobi as he felt the comfort of his own home. Hinata kept the place spic and span these days and Naruto genuinely enjoyed being in his apartment. He hated the place as a child yet somehow he knew he would miss it. Naruto would never expect Hinata to move to such a low class apartment, though she insisted it was a perfect starter home for the two of them. He would have to find a place to move once they were married.

Hinata wrapped his arm, unnecessarily gently, as his other arm busied itself writing up the report for Kakashi. Another skill he had learned at his mentor's suggestion was writing with both hands. Though the job of a Hokage sounded less and less appealing every time, he wanted the job even more because of it.

Hinata slipped out the door a couple of hours later, leaving Naruto asleep on his couch. All the stress of the, albeit pitiful, attempt on Naruto's life had evaporated. The warm night in Konohagakure reminded her of what that goofy blond boy sleeping on his couch had fought so hard for all his life. A single young shinobi was out walking the streets, patrolling. Peace had seen the security measures of the village slip. It was something Hinata herself would talk with the Hokage about tomorrow.

Hinata knew it must be getting close to midnight as she neared her own home. She would have to apologize to her squad tomorrow morning. She had promised them to try and get Naruto out on the training fields to demonstrate what it was like to face an enemy far superior to yourself. She doubted her future husband would have the time. Best case scenario he would spend all day talking with Kakashi and Shikamaru at the Hokage's office. Worst case, making preparations to go to war with Amegakure and whatever Allies it had.

The upstart with that kunai must have been crazy to come for Naruto like that, the Hyuga woman thought as she made her way to her bedroom. Who would think that plan would work? Where did they find a boy willing to attempt it?

Hinata's mind worked itself into a frenzy as she tried to solve the mystery. Sleep would come very late, if at all for the young woman.

Naruto woke to an empty apartment. No matter how desperately he tried to convince Hinata that she could stay the night at his apartment, she would always go back to her own home after he had fallen asleep. It caused the young man to feel guilty, having his fiance walk herself home so late at night. He would have to make time to go and talk to her squad of genin today.

He snatched up the report he had written for Kakashi and hurried out his door. He was always glad to see the Hokage's office. He knew he would be forcing the sixth into retirement as soon as he could manage it. Opting for the more efficient road to the office, he jumped across the village's rooftops. It was the easiest way to avoid the hordes, just as he had once used them to escape the icy glares of villagers.

As he landed on the roof of the office his hand shot up in a wave to the stone faces behind the imposing building. Something that had started as a way for him to remember the brief time he had with his father had turned into a ritual. A compulsion.

Kakashi Hatake had felt Naruto's presence as soon as he arrived on the roof. He pushed his paperwork aside, a small smile forming under his trademark mask. As Naruto twisted the door knob, Kakashi quickly flung his signed copy of one of Jiraya's earlier works into his desk drawer. The last thing he wanted was to follow in the sanin's footsteps as the pervy Hokage.

"Kakashi-Sensei." Naruto acknowledged as he strode into the spacious office, as he had so many times before.

"It's good to see you Naruto. How was your last mission?"

"Don't you know already? The bandits were long gone by the time I showed up. They left all their stolen goods behind along with a written apology. So it was quick I guess."

The white haired man threw his head back in laughter.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"Nothing at all. Anyway. You have a report for me?"

"I do yeah. I was pretty tired when I finished it though, you may just want to ask me about it now." The blond admitted, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"I figured as much... so the brat says he's from Amegakure. What did you do to the rain?"

"Why does everyone think I did something to the Rain? NO. I don't know why he attacked me, and I don't think he does either."

"Well you're right about that. Ino looked into his mind today. All his memories before Hinata knocked him on his rear were... sealed."

"Sealed? Like a genjutsu?" Naruto asked clueless, even now genjutsu was not something he was well versed in.

"Yeah, pretty high level stuff. There's only one person who would be able to get past it."

"Sasuke?"

"Exactly, and I have no idea where he is or how important what he's doing is. I can't call him back for this. We'll just have to hope that the jutsu fades naturally over the next couple of days. Until then I want you to remain in the village, I'll have some Anbu keep an eye on you." Kakashi braced himself as he gave Naruto the order.

"What? Anbu watch over me? Don't waste their time."

"I know you think it's unnecessary but it's protocol. You're a member of this village, and I have to do everything in my power to keep you safe." The exhausted man tried to explain.

"Okay, if you must. Just keep it limited to one at a time. And make sure they're good. I don't want to be feeling Anbu chakra all day. They're all so weird, just like Sai." Naruto ground out.

"Fine. Fair enough. In the mean time, have you considered taking a genin squad. I'm sure Iruka told you, the two of us have been working hard to put together a suitable team for you."

"I don't know Kakashi. Taking C rank missions, I've got a wedding to pay for and Hinata is already teaching her own squad. One of us needs to be working real missions. I'll have to buy a house soon too."

"Naruto, for one I know you don't need the money. You've always been very frugal and how long have you been on A rank or higher? And for two you know the Hyugas will probably insist they pay for it. So what's you're other excuse?"

"Kakashi I'm no good with stuff like that. You know it. I don't understand half of my own jutsus. It's usually just me and Kurama headbutting whoever it is until we win." Naruto tried to hide his unease with a laugh.

"Right. Well go spend some time at the academy like Iruka asked you. Then get back to me with your answer. This village needs a new team seven." Kakashi pointed dramatically to the pictures of both team sevens he was part of.

"You know a third of all team sevens turn out to be criminals."

It was Kakashi's turn to loose a nervous laugh and rub his head.

"Maybe you'll break the cycle."

With that Naruto left the Hokage to his work. He wanted to go show off in front of his fiance's genin but Kakashi had talked him into visiting the academy first. He wondered, as he neared the school, would he see some poor kid sitting on the swing all alone? Would there be some touted genius who was adored by all his peers but was shut off from having something like a friend? Would there be some busybody kunoichi to stick with them and watch after them? Was there a team seven waiting on a mentor at the school.

Probably not. He decided as he headed for Iruka's office.


	2. Questions

A/N: Thank you guys as always for reading. I'm having a lot of fun doing this and the plot keeps getting bigger and bigger in my head. I apologize to anyone who was expecting a shorter story. If you guys have any criticisms please feel free to leave a review. I would consider myself a novice at best so this is all in order to improve. I'm particularly interested to know what you guys think about the chapter length. I try to keep it between 3 and 5k words, is that too long? Too short? Anyway, thanks again for reading.

Iruka was fast at work, allocating funding and assigning the visitors to the classes they would be speaking to, when the hero of the Leaf strode into his humble office. Had it been anyone else the busy principal would never have noticed. The overwhelming energy leaking from the young man was undeniable. Naruto and Kurama could not be overlooked.

"I'm glad you came." Iruka said, never looking up from his desk.

"Yeah. Kakashi-Sensei has me on village arrest. I can't take any missions until we find out who's trying to kill me." Naruto went on, failing to realize his old sensei had heard nothing about the attempt on his life.

"What? Some one is trying to kill **you**? Why?"

"How should I know? It's not exactly a surprise." Naruto explained.

"Yeah I guess being such a well known hero has its drawbacks. And it's not as if they're going to go after him."

Naruto chuckled as Iruka refused to call Sasuke by name. A lot of villagers still harbored resentment for the polarizing shinobi. Iruka had a point though. Someone could very well be after the power the Sage of Six Paths bestowed upon him. It was hard to keep a secret like that from shinobi.

"So, you want to meet some kids? I may have spread a small rumor. They're all beyond excited at the prospect of Naruto Uzumaki spending his valuable time with them. Maybe even showing them-"

"Iruka-Sensei. The Rasengan isn't some magic trick."

"I know that. It's just, well to be frank Naruto, that jutsu has become a sense of pride for the Leaf. It's only ever been used by the three greatest heroes of Konoha. It's basically the academy's mascot. They all run around the playground, pretending to blast each other all the way to the great stone faces with it. It wouldn't kill you to get the kids excited about being shinobi."

"Konohamaru knows how to use the Rasengan as well Iruka-Sensei." Naruto corrected.

"Oh. Oh god, Naruto don't tell the kids that. They'll flog the poor kid. He's only just become jonin, he wouldn't get a moment's rest."

"Relax. I wouldn't make Konohamaru have to deal with the mobs. I've got all day to kill, I'm sure they'll get a Rasengan or something out of me. I still remember how demanding a student can be."

Iruka seemed please that Naruto had become more enthusiastic about talking to his students as the hero of the Leaf. Then fear shot through the principal as the idea of Naruto speaking to the kids as, well, Naruto crossed his mind.

"Okay. That would be wonderful. Just nothing to crazy. Nothing bigger than the standard Rasengan please. For my sake. I couldn't handle rebuilding the academy a second time in my tenure."

"Aw. Iruka-Sensei, Kurama was really looking forward to... stretching his legs."

Iruka felt his heart thud into his chest. He still had not come to grips with the friendly Kurama who loved Naruto as much as his blond host loved the village. He hoped desperately that Naruto was only joking. The overwhelming power of the fox could traumatize even the most hardened shinobi, much less a group of students hoping to see the man occupying the posters on their walls.

He scolded himself silently as he escorted Naruto to the classroom. As if Naruto would ever cause harm to students of the Leaf academy. The principal slipped into the classroom, quickly closing the door behind to keep from ruining the surprise.

"Attention students. The academy has put together a special treat for you today. We've arranged for a guest speaker, someone I think you'll all have plenty of questions for. Be on your best behavior for him. The Leaf's great hero, the student of Lord Sixth and the sanin Jiraya. The man responsible for saving the village and the world on multiple occasions."

Naruto felt his cheeks warm as Iruka wrapped up his introduction. He could not hear his name nor Iruka tell him to come into the class room over the cajoling of the students.

He raised his left hand in a slight wave as he slid the door open.

"It's really him."

"Yeah, I heard Iruka-Sensei taught him in his academy days."

"Wow Really? Iruka-Sensei must be a really amazing ninja if he taught Naruto."

"No he's just a chunin."

Naruto caught bits and pieces of the students' conversation as he took his place behind the podium that Anko ceded to him. He had once troubled Iruka greatly as the man stood behind that very podium.

"Right." The nervous shinobi began. "Iruka-Sensei-"

"Wow he called Iruka-Sensei sensei." One kid whispered to another, forcing a stern looking Iruka to flash a quick smile before he reigned in his pride.

"Iruka-Sensei wanted me to come and talk to you guys. About what makes a great shinobi. Honestly it's simple. I was never a genius, no one expected much from me." Naruto understated, not wanting to cast the village he loved so much in a bad light. "But hard work always pays off. A shinobi's real strength is his comrades. My own sensei once told me, a shinobi who abandons the mission is scum. But one who abandons his comrades is far worse. So, ya know, uh. Work hard, make friends. Any questions?"

"Can we see the Rasengan?"

"No you idiot, that's the small one. The Rasenshuriken."

"Can we hear the fox when he talks?"

"I don't want to see the fox. He would eat us."

"No he wouldn't. He's nice now."

Iruka showed Naruto an apologetic look as his students bombarded the hero with questions.

"What do I do?" Naruto asked the principal.

"Maybe just a small Rasengan?"

Naruto's eyes lit up at the prospect. "In the class room?"

"No! Well it's just, they're sparring matches are next. I thought maybe if I dismissed them early you would hang around. After the matches you could give them a demonstration. If you feel like it."

Naruto nodded, affirming that he would spend at least another hour at the academy. After Iruka explained to the students that Naruto would give them what they wanted if they did well enough in practice, the children raced for the practice ground. Not even bothering to wait for their orders, the kids paired off with their usual partners and lined up in their usual order.

They all wanted to impress the blond shinobi desperately. In their young minds, whoever performed the best would definitely be taught the Rasengan. The matches commenced, all the students fought to the highest extent of their abilities.

After a set of, admittedly unimpressive matches, the last pair of young shinobi took their place in front of the line of waiting children. Naruto shook his head in disbelief, as he took note of the features belonging to the two participants. A blond and blue eyed dopey looking kid stood across from a dark haired boy with a detached expression.

"What are their names?" Naruto asked as the students began their match.

"The blond one is called Sora, the dark haired one is Shisui. Named after the Uchiha. Fitting isn't it?"

Naruto watched intently as the blond and dopey boy easily bested the one named after his best friend's clansman. That, wasn't following the paradigm so closely.

"Sora is a bit of a prodigy. And the two of them..." Iruka trailed off as the blond student tried to help his easily defeated opponent off of the ground.

"Get out of my face." Shisui spat.

"I was just trying to help. Jerk!" Sora retorted.

"As if I need your help. You're just trying to look good in front of Naruto-Sensei."

"Fine!"

"Hey! That's enough you two. Stop it now. Make the unison sign and get on with it."

Naruto watched, knowing exactly what would happen next, as Iruka broke up the fight. The two young shinobi launched themselves once more at each others throats. Iruka moved to stop them, even though he was much closer to the students he could never hope to outpace Naruto.

The blond shinobi shoved them both in the chest, quickly but gently. Both of the students landed on their rear, scowling at each other but making sure they did not show the older shinobi their ugly faces.

"That's no way for comrades to behave." Naruto said, even the famously dense ninja did not fail to hear the irony in his statement.

"Sorry Sensei." They mumbled simultaneously.

"What if you two end up on a squad together? You could be responsible for each others lives one day." Iruka joined in the disciplinary talk.

"Sorry Sensei." They repeated.

"Right, you can both stay after class. Clean the classroom. And I'm half a mind to send you in early."

"No please sensei. Let us watch Naruto-Sensei's demonstration."

Iruka showed Naruto a coy smile. As if to prove a point from long ago, proving that he held the students in the palm of his hand.

"Naruto, what do you think?"

"As long as they promise to get along I'll let it slide." Naruto turned to Iruka, not allowing the children to hear him. "What should I do?"

"You know what they want. Just teach them something."

Naruto thought for a moment. Most everyone had seen the standard Rasengan.

"Okay guys. Check it out." Naruto ordered as he walked into the middle of the gawking children. Iruka ordered them to clear some space for the legendary jutsu, so as to avoid collateral damage.

Hinata was walking her team of genin to the Hokage's office when they neared the academy. Her team had just finished a mission to reclaim a distraught villager's pet cat. It was a short mission. Her genin were fast and competent and with the help of her Byakugan the cat was found and retrieved after only fifteen minutes. Almost beating the record for fastest retrieval of that particular unruly pet.

"What's that about?" Hinata's genin, Shinji asked as a great ruckus came from the other side of the academy's fence.

"I think I know." The Hyuga answered as she felt the familiar chakra crash into her.

"Oh. It's Hinata-Sensei's Naruto. He's wrecking a bunch of training dummies." A second genin, a red headed girl named Rumi, added.

"Hinata-Sensei, we should drop by. If it wouldn't get you in trouble." Shinji offered.

"Why would we want to see that goofball? Hinata-Sensei is the strongest jonin in the village." Rumi sneered.

"Naruto Uzumaki is the strongest ninja in history. Hinata-Sensei is very strong but-"

"You're absolutely right Yoichi. Do you guys want to see him?" Hinata hoped very much her genin would want to witness her fiance's display. It would be good for them, open their eyes to the dangers that are out there. Naruto had clashed with shinobi far stronger than any of the young genin could comprehend.

"I think we should." Yoichi answered for his team.

Naruto was chasing the students around, his chakra forming a minuscule Kurama, growling and threatening to eat them. The students were laughing wildly and exercising their limited skills in chakra control bouncing around the yard and walking on the fences. Naruto's attempted lesson on shadow clones had not lasted very long.

"Oh students, quiet for a moment." Iruka struggled to quiet the students as Hinata Hyuga on her team of genin w lked onto the yard. The boisterous Rumi, standing in front of her two teammates, looked at the students as though the difference between them was vast and insurmountable.

"What brings you by Hinata?" Iruka asked, Naruto not having noticed the arrival of his fiance.

"My team wanted to meet Naruto, I figured I would just save him some time and stop by here."

"Ahem." Iruka cleared his throat extra loudly, demanding Naruto's attention.

"Oh." Naruto scratched his head. "What are you doing here Hinata?"

"We just wrapped up a mission. I felt Kurama running around, thought we'd pop by." Hinata answered casually.

"Oh, well perhaps you could help Naruto in his demonstration. Which seems to have been... derailed." Iruka suggested, glaring at Naruto whose educational demonstration had devolved into a game of nine tailed tag.

"What do you have in mind Iruka-Sensei?" Naruto asked, greeting his fiance with a look that was only recognized by her.

"I thought perhaps the two of you could spar. Show us what it looks like when two jonin cross fists."

"I don't know about that." Naruto replied hesitantly, he and Hinata sparring was something they did often. But to make a show out of it? Naruto was not sure how his timid fiance would handle being the center of attention.

"What's wrong? Afraid sensei will beat you?" Rumi asked, standing by Hinata's side.

The Hyuga jonin chuckled at her outspoken charge. Being bold and brash were clearly not traits Hinata hated.

"Of course I am. You have the best teacher in the whole village, ya know." Naruto beamed.

"Well so how about it? Naruto would you mind sparring with me? For the kids benefits of course." Hinata was determined to live up to the reputation her team had built up for her in their heads.  
"Alright, no way I could deny the children. Right?" Naruto smiled idiotically as he lined up across from his fiance in the yard.

Iruka stood by as if to officiate. As if he could stop either of them from doing whatever they wanted now or as if he would need to.

"Hinata-Sensei is toast."

"She can win."

"It's not as if he's going to go full on against her."

"Yeah because they're in love."

"That's not why. Naruto-Sensei can't fight full on against anyone. He's too strong."

"Even Hinata-Sensei isn't strong enough to fight him."

The kids placed their bets excitedly. The Hyuga heiress activated her Byakugan, while with anyone else she would play it slowly and observe them this particular opponent was well known to her. She knew, her best moves, her most perfected jutsus, and even her secret Hyuga techniques would fall flat against Naruto.

The iconic hand seal activated and a half a dozen shadow clones of Naruto filled the yard. All of them burning with orange chakra and a mischievous light twinkling in their eyes.

"You ready? Hinata?" Naruto called as he narrowed his eyes in concentration.

"Enough talk." She answered.

Naruto allowed everyone's expectations to be turned on their heads as the Hyuga made the first move. Advancing far quicker than the students could follow, she hit a shadow clone with a single blow from the gentle fist, causing it to dissipate in a puff of smoke. Three more Narutos leapt forward to confront the raging Hyuga.

Hinata had an impressive jutsu of her own to show the children.

"Wow. So that's it?" Rumi asked Shinji, the only of Hinata's genin to have seen the intimidating lions made of chakra spewing from Hinata's fists.

"That's harsh Hinata." Naruto said as two more of his shadow clones evaporated.

"So get serious about it. Please." Hinata shot back.

All the Narutos spun up, admittedly very small, Rasengans in their hands as to protect himself from the ultimate Hyuga taijutsu, belonging exclusively to the main family. Hinata new the the next attack would be different. Naruto's eyes had taken on the orange pigment that indicated he was drawing chakra from nature, frog kumite was an entirely different story than Naruto's own sloppy and reckless blend of taijutsu, though he was still holding the mini Rasengans. Was it something new he was working on?

She gave him a look of gratitude. The blond boy had always been the only person to truly understand her, he knew that she wanted to stand beside him, or across from him whenever the situation called for it, as a partner. Not as someone to be spoiled and doted on as the rest of the family saw her.

"He really is a sage!" Even the reserved Yoichi was flabbergasted.

Naruto easily deflected a shot from Hinata's lion fist and slipped to her side. No one else, other than Sasuke or possibly the aging Kakashi, could have reacted fast enough to Naruto's attack to avoid the tiny Rasengan. Hinata suspected he had slowed his hand at the last moment, but countered Naruto none the less. Flipping him over her shoulder, she became elated at the prospect of finally winning a sparring match with an audience no less. _Poof._

The shadow clone disappeared and Hinata felt the familiar sensation of losing to her fiance as she examined the yard looking for the blond shinobi. If he had been worried about the fight at all, he did not show it. The blond shinobi had his back turned to the kunoichi and was speaking to a mask. Hinata was angry at first, for him dismissing her without bothering to stop the fight, until she remembered the previous evening's events. It was likely an Anbu dispatched by the sixth Hokage himself.

"Lord Sixth is requesting an audience." The Anbu relayed dutifully.

"Can it wait? I'm in the middle of something." Naruto said with a glance over his shoulder to Hinata.

"It's important." The Anbu replied simply.

"Right." Naruto groaned. It was always important when the Hokage called for him.,

"I'm sorry guys. Kakashi-Sensei needs me." Naruto apologized as he turned back to the students and his sparring partner.

"No big deal." Hinata waved, trying desperately to hide the fact she was left panting without having ever came in contact with the real Naruto.

"He's running away." Rumi snickered.

"The Hokage sent an Anbu just to fetch him. I'm sure he's not worried about losing the fight." Yoichi said rationally.

"Look at him. His shadow clones were fighting against Hinata-Sensei's Lion fist and he's not even sweating." Shinji added.

Hinata silenced her genin with a motherly glare.

"You three, find your way to the training fields. I'll come get you if Lord Sixth has anything for us." She ordered.

A groan escaped Rumi's lips as she realized they were being kept out of the loop. The three genin vanished on there sensei's orders however and went to practice at the training field.

"I'm heading to the Hokage's office as well. Want some company?" Hinata knew the answer as she propositioned Naruto.

"Of course." Naruto said with the same smile that had melted the Hyuga's heart since they attended the academy themselves.

"Naruto. Hinata, how's Kurenai and Mirai?" Kakashi asked behind his messy desk.

"They're well. Mirai is still very... stiff. She's steadfast, like her father, but Kurenai-Sensei is worried she's too hard on herself." Hinata reported, knowing that Kakashi was genuinely interested in his late friend's daughter.

"That seems about right. I still regret her not being put on your team. I just did not want to appear as though I were playing favorites. She'll grow out of that stoicism though. Her father did." Kakashi shifted in his chair, then decided he would not be comfortable sitting at all. "Ino got very little off of the young Amegakure shinobi. She probed him for hours and when it seemed she was getting through... the boy's mind self destructed. I have Ino and Sai trying to put him back together now. It's a mess Naruto. Some serious genjutsu, I mean to put a self destruct command on a mind under your control. It should not be possible without... some serious ocular jutsu." Kakashi lingered over his final words.

"There's got to be some other explanation. There's only one Rinnegan or Mangekyo in the world. And I Know-"

"Do you know Naruto? Sasuke did some horrible things when he was lost in the dark. Some things may just now be coming to light." Kakashi interjected.

"No. This? Using a kid, to try and kill me? Sasuke was always more like... well he would have just tried to put a Chidori through my chest." Naruto pointed out.

Naruto could feel the chill in the air as he mentioned the days when Sasuke wanted nothing more than to kill him. Hinata did not find it humorous as the two legendary shinobi did. It pained Kakashi as well, but he felt far more guilt than anger.

"Well one person comes to mind." Hinata spoke, more than happy to change the subject.

"He'll know something if anyone does." Kakashi acknowledged.

Naruto did not grasp the concept as quickly as Kakashi had. "What? Who?"

"Naruto..." Kakashi sighed, the powerful young man still had a long way to go before the tired copy ninja could step down as Hokage.

"Orochimaru dear." Hinata answered, alleviating Naruto's confusion.

"Now that is an idea. Should I go pay him a visit?"

"Yes, I think so. And don't be afraid to be rough, you'll have to shake that psychopath down if you want to get anything out of him." Kakashi went on.

"That won't be any problem." Hinata ground out from beside Naruto.

"You're going too now?" Kakashi asked.

"I think I should. Naruto will need my sensory capabilities. No telling what Orochimaru has in store, I don't want him to walk into a trap." Hinata said, sounding as objective as possible.

"With sage mode Naruto can sense better than anyone else in the Leaf though." Kakashi mumbled, knowing that whatever point he raised, both dependable jonin would be leaving for Orochimaru's cave. "Leave whenever you're ready then. Keep this between the two of you, I'll have your team report to Kiba while you're gone. He can use their help. I've got him and his team cleaning up the village. Removing graffiti and picking up litter."

"Oh. Rumi will be upset, but community service is part of being a ninja. Even as a jonin."

"Hinata.. You don't have to tell the Hokage about what being a ninja is." Naruto laughed.

"Oh right. I'm sorry."

Kakashi himself laughed. Little Naruto was engaged, to such a thoughtful woman. He had come a long way, and now someone was trying to kill him again. The hero of the shinobi world, it felt like a vicious circle. Kakashi rubbed his head as the curse of that yellow hair. He had seen it before, in Naruto's father, being as bright as that surely painted a target on you.

"You will be going without your Anbu detail. I trust that won't be an issue for you two."

Naruto and Hinata exchanged and amused look. The thought of them needing a security detail was beyond absurd.

"I do want you two to stop by the hospital. I'll have Sakura prepare a scroll full of antidotes and medicines for you. No telling what kind of nasty stuff you could _step on_. Actually Naruto can you even be poisoned?" Kakashi wasn't sure of the extent of Naruto's healing abilities even now.

"I don't think so. Kurama can we get poison?"

" _I doubt it. We're the strongest in the world._ " The fox was sure of his answer.

"No. Kurama says we're good."

"I can certainly be poisoned though. I'll pack us a lunch if you go get the meds." Hinata offered.

"Good. Also on your way..."

"Kakashi-Sensei. A mission on top of this?" Naruto groaned. He hated the thought of being slowed down by delivering a package or chasing off some rouge shinobi.

"It's really more of a favor, for me. I'll send a dossier to Hinata. You can read it on the way, if you don't mind. Also I think you should leave a shadow clone here. So I can get a hold of you in an emergency, or if we learn anything from the boy."

"Of course we don't mind Lord Sixth." Hinata answered amicably.

"I'm just ready to get to the bottom of all this? Trying to kill me in my won village is one thing, but to break a young shinobi's mind like that? Whoever this is, they'll answer for what they've done. And if it is Orochimaru, he'll be sorry." Naruto's voice was thick and gravelly. It was a tone that he adopted from time to time, one that separated the lovable ninja from the force of nature.

Naruto and Hinata left the Hokage and the second Naruto in the office to prepare for their journey. It was shaping up to be a strange mission, Naruto thought. The Hokage usually forwent dossiers when giving Naruto assignments. It was much more efficient for him to just explain the job to the knuckleheaded ninja. He would have to ask Sakura about it at the hospital, hopefully the temperamental kunoichi would have been having a good day at work.


	3. A Visit

A/N: Thanks again for reading guys. This chapter was a little bit harder to write, I'm trying to get things set up before the story takes off. I apologize for all the exposition, I'm trying to get through it as painlessly as possible. Enjoy.

"Oi. Sakura, Kakashi-Sensei sent me for a scroll. Do you have it ready?" Naruto called through the halls of the hospital. Searching for the pink haired chief.

A fierce blow to the back of Naruto's head delivered his answer. "Oi, Naruto. There are sick people in here." She growled at her loud friend.

"Geez Sakura. I know, I'm kind of in a hurry though. Some one's trying to kill me ya know." Naruto explained, massaging his abused scalp.

"Some one is always trying to kill you. So what? I've got a child in room eleven, he needs rest. He's been... damaged."

"Little dark haired boy? From Amegakure?"

"I didn't know he was from the rain. How did you know about him? He can't even speak." Sakura's tone shifted, considering the possibility that Naruto had some information to offer her.

"He's the one trying to kill me."

"So you did this?" Sakura asked, bewildered.

"Of course not, did Kakashi-Sensei not tell you anything? And since when can I use genjutsu?"

"Naruto. I don't know what you can do anymore. Why is this little boy trying to kill you?"

"That's why we're going to see Orochimaru. Looking for answers. When some freaky stuff goes down he's the one sure place to get information on it." Naruto went on.

"Orochimaru? Is-"

"I don't know. I'm sure you've heard from him since I have. Now where's the scroll? I've got to meet Hinata at the gate in ten minutes."

Sakura placed a small and efficient scroll in his hand. She had obviously packed it herself, hearing that Naruto and his future bride would be the ones to use it. She also handed the blond shinobi a letter, one she evidently kept on her since she was wearing scrubs that had not been washed in several days indicating she had not been home in several days.

"Give him this if he's there. Please." Sakura's usual heavy handed demeanor wavered as she passed on the carefully sealed envelope. "If you read it..." Her voice regained its usual dominance as she trailed off.

"Relax. I have better things to do than try and separate you and him these days. What if he's not there should I leave it with his friends?" Naruto asked, reminding Sakura of the grim company her love kept.

"No. They aren't the type to respect privacy, just bring it back if you don't run in to him. I don't expect you will anyways."

"Okay no problem. We shouldn't be gone more than a few days. Kakashi-Sensei doesn't want me to act on anything Orochimaru has to say until I discuss it with him or something."

"Good, now get out of here, making all that racket." Sakura said, feigning exasperation.

"See ya." Naruto called, making a show of tucking the letter and scroll into his baggy pockets.

"Be careful dummy. And thanks."

Naruto only waved as the Uzumaki insignia became smaller and smaller on his back. A nostalgic sight for the young chief of the ER. The blond hair was shorter and better kept and his posture was more sure of itself, but at the end of the day the young Uzumaki was her hero as much as he was to every other shinobi. If not more so.

Hinata had packed a hearty lunch for the couple and was now waiting on Naruto just outside the village gates. A trip to the sinister sanin's lair was nothing more than an opportunity for the two of them to have a picnic away from Naruto's legion of adoring fans, as far as Hinata was concerned.

She stood just out of sight on the other side of the gate, Naruto could never slip through the gates the usual way without risking acquiring a band of hangers on. With a tap on her opposite shoulder the Uzumaki strode past her right side, taking her hand in his without a word. A small smile spread across the kunoichi's mouth as they walked along the familiar path towards the board with Sunagakure. Orochimaru's current hole in the wall was located just near the would be assassin's own home village. Indicating that Orochimaru would in fact know something about the strange genjutsu responsible for wreaking so much havoc on Naruto's daily routine.

"Did you read Kakashi-Sensei's thing yet?" Naruto asked as they quickened their pace.

"It's called a dossier dear." Hinata corrected, prompting a groan from Naruto.

"Did you read the dossey? What does Kakashi-Sensei want me to do?" Naruto purposefully mispronounced the name.

"He wants **us** to stop at a local apothecary, near some secluded hot springs. We're supposed to pick up some medicine made of a special root. Doesn't say what it's for. The dossier also suggest we visit the hot spring. Lord Sixth apparently has been out here before. With his team seven, he thinks you'll enjoy it."

A devious grin replaced the innocent smile on Naruto's face. His old sensei had sent him on a mission to the hot spring with his fiance. Kakashi was always looking out for him after all.

"Should we go before or after we see Orochimaru?" Naruto hid the hopefulness in his voice as he asked.

"He doesn't care one way or the other, but he recommends we go before. He thinks seeing Orochimaru would dampen the fun of visiting such a nice place."

"Alright. How much will the medicine cost? He didn't give me any money for the mission, so he'll have to reimburse me whatever I spend. It'll be coming out of my-"

Naruto stopped himself from divulging the fact that he was saving for a house for the soon to be married couple.

"Out of your ramen funds?"

"Uh, Yeah. Ichiraku has gone up, since its in high demand."

"Well you don't have to worry about it. He says this will cover it." Hinata said showing a piece of the Hokage's stationary with a few words scribbled on it.

Naruto and Hinata made good time and even better conversation on the way to the little apothecary half way between the Leaf and the border with the Rain. When they stopped for lunch, Naruto sat with a single hand touching the ground. Using his abilities as a sage to save Hinata the trouble of activating her taxing Byakugan to prevent the two from being treated to an unexpected and unwanted visitor.

"Why do you do that?" Hinata asked as she sipped on the water in her Leaf branded canteen.

"Something my father did. It lets you feel things, I don't really know all the specifics of it, it's about being a sage."

"You know my Byakugan would see anything long before you **felt** it." Hinata challenged playfully.

"Maybe, but this is much easier to keep up. It doesn't use any chakra. So while you Byakugan may be more powerful, this doesn't cost anything and it's undetectable to anyone who may be looking for chakra signs at the same time." Naruto lectured, ninjutsu was one thing the brash blond always sounded like an authority on. That and instant ramen.

"So what all can you feel while you're using that?" Hinata found herself genuinely curious about the ability.

"People, their chakra, their intentions. It depends on what I'm looking for. I can use it to find animals and non shinobi and anything else that's alive. All the other stuff I usually just tune out though."

"So what are my intentions?" Hinata asked, in her most provocative and sultry voice. It was still something she worked on.

"Obviously I tune you out. Why would I be looking for you, you're right here." Naruto shook his head in confusion, clearly missing the point.

"Well take a look." The Hyuga heiress chose to ignore her fiance's obliviousness.

Naruto gave his fiance a strange look. A questioning and bewildered look. Then as the realization dawned on him, he slid closer to the love of his life. Taking her arm and draping it over his shoulder, he pulled her closer.

"It's been a while since we got any time to ourselves. I'm sorry." The shinobi apologized to the girl as he held her close.

"It's not your fault. I'm glad that you got what you always wanted, no one questions your skill anymore. It's a shame it took them so long to admit it to themselves." Hinata broached the most delicate subject known to her fiance.

"It makes it hard to plan a wedding though doesn't it?" Naruto laughed.

The Hyuga heiress scoffed. Offended that her fiance claimed to have anything to do with the wedding planning. The entirety of it had been done by her, Hanabi, and Sakura. "What would you know about planning a wedding?" Her tone was almost accusatory.

"What? I've been helping." Naruto demanded.

"Helping how? Once you even played shogi with Shikamaru rather than go-"

"Oh please don't remind me about that. My head still hurts from all the climbing grays and kings and stuff."

Hinata laughed as Naruto stopped her mid sentence. His and Shikamaru's friendship was indescribable.

"Right well- Naruto some one is there." Hinata said with a start pointing East, realizing that Naruto's hand had left its post on the ground.

"It's a shinobi." He said simply.

"Yeah no kidding. He's moving fast, he knows we're here."

Naruto rose without a word, preparing to greet the interloper with interest more than worry. Soon the young boy was upon him, even younger than the boy who had attacked Naruto back at the leaf. The boy's legs were shaking as if he'd not rested in days, running straight towards Naruto and Hinata.

He held a kunai in his trembling hands, leveled directly at Naruto's chest.

"What are you going to do with that kid?" Naruto asked gently.

The boy said nothing, answering by rushing Naruto with a firm resolve and unsound form. Naruto stood comfortably and accepted the boy's blitz, easily side stepping all of his swings. Becoming bored with the boy, Naruto walloped him on the head. He was dumbfounded as the boy seemed unfazed. Jiraya had once hit him just as hard, it had stopped Naruto in his tracks. The boy delivered a light cut to Naruto's side while he was in a trance of befuddlement.

Less than a second after the ninja's side was opened, barely drawing blood, he sent the kid flying backwards with the smallest Rasengan he had ever created. The boy crashed into a massive tree that the land of fire was known for, the only sound to come from the boy's mouth was a pathetic groan. Naruto rubbed his head, trying his best to put the signs in front of him together.

The boy rose to his shaky feet, clutching the kunai desperately.

"Hey, little boy. You don't have to keep doing this. How did you find us? Who sent you?"

The boy staggered towards Naruto, the same conviction in his eyes as he once again leveled the kunai at the superior shinobi. Hinata closed off the boy's chakra coils as he attempted another assault on Naruto. Once his chakra was inaccessible, the boy's eyes lost their determination. He fell to his knees, face begging for an answer.

"Who are you?" Was the first and most important question that came to the boy's mind as he held his chest.

"Who are **you**?" Hinata asked, her Byakugan forcing the boy to avert his gaze from her eyes.

"I'm Reto. How did I get here? I was preparing for my genin exam when-" The boy cut off as he began his explanation. His mind seemed to draw a blank regarding anything leading up to his encounter with the couple in the forest.

"When what Reto?" Hinata asked gently prodding him.

"I don't know. I saw a pair of eyes, they were like a clock. Then I woke up here and my chest hurt really bad." He said holding the mark left from Naruto's Rasengan.

"Eyes that look like a clock? Like they were white, with black rings?" Hinata asked, certain she was on to something.

"No, the eyes they were just blue. But they ticked, I don't know. I just couldn't look away from them. They told me-" The young ninja groaned as he tried to elaborate on the pair of eyes.

"Take it easy kid." Naruto said as he offered the straining boy a sip of his water.

"Where are we exactly?" The young shinobi asked, happy to have a drink of water.

"You're in the land of fire." Hinata kept her explanation short.

"What? Oh no, My exam!" The boy cried.

"Don't worry about that right now. You're from Sunagakure right? With a name like Reto you must be. I'll talk to Gaara- I mean the Kazekage myself." Naruto promised.

"So what happened here? How did you two find me?" It was the tendency of the latest generation of shinobi not to be suspicious of ninja from other villages. Naruto enjoyed the relationship his own village had with that of the Sand.

"You tried to kill me actually." Naruto explained.

"What? I'm so sorry. Who are you exactly Mr.?"

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki. This is my fiance Hinata Hyuga." Naruto introduced himself casually as always.

The boys eyes lit up as if Naruto had just told him that he was the sun itself. Then they became hazy and tears began to well up behind them .

"I'm so sorry. Again. I never would have attacked you if I had been- I don't know why I'm here, I'm sorry please don't kill me. Don't take me to the interrogation unit please. I'm sorry."

Hinata was distraught as the boy fell into a panic. She tried to comfort him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"So you've heard of him?" She asked, looking affectionately up at her fiance from where she knelt beside the boy.

"Every one has. He's the most dangerous shinobi in the world. I mean isn't that right?" The boy whimpered.

"No. He's the hero of the shinobi world. Does he look like someone who would kill a young ninja just because they tried to stab him?"

"Well no."

"Seriously don't worry about it. You didn't know what you were doing, and you're not the first. A young shinobi from Amegakure tried to do the same just yesterday. In fact he's at the leaf hospital right now, the best doctors in the leaf are trying to put his mind back together from where the genjutsu turned it to mush. I don't want to hurt you, I'm searching for the man responsible. Using kids to-"

"His brain turned to mush?!" The boy's isolated tears turned to a full on down pour.

"Naruto!" Hinata scolded.

"Look I'm sorry. I'm sure that won't happen to you Reto. Well it might. I'm going to fix it though. Don't worry about it."

"It might?" The boy sniffled.

" **Naruto**!"

After Hinata spent around ten minutes trying to console the boy who was in fear of being made mush minded, Naruto began to work out a solution for the young man. He did not want to leave the boy on his own to make it back to his village, nor did he want to send him on his way with only a shadow clone. He suspected his fiance would not care for the only solution he could think of on the spot.

"Hinata. I think you should take him back to the Sand. He shouldn't go on his own."

The Hyuga deflated visibly, though she displayed no signs of disagreement on her face. She knew it was the only solution.

"Yeah, I don't see any way around it. I definitely don't want to visit Orochimaru without you, he's a little... overwhelming for me. I'll take the boy to Gaara. Then I'll meet you at the apothecary. Unless you still want to go before, then I'll guess I'll see you at home." Hinata knew Naruto would meet her at the apothecary rather than the village.

"Go to the hot spring with out you? Don't be crazy. Tell Gaara I said hello, and if Shikamaru is there with Temari ask him to be at the village when I get back. I don't have any hope of figuring this out without him."

The Hyuga girl nodded her agreement. With a light peck on Naruto's cheek, to avoid embarrassing the frightened boy, she set off in the opposite direction Naruto was bearing, the young shinobi tailed her closely.

Naruto silently picked up after their picnic, he would never dare leave Hinata's basket and plates behind. It was cumbersome and a pain but the Hyuga woman could not be reasoned with about packing such a formal lunch for their dates. It was the burden of the local hero, dates became so hard to come by that the couple considered a mission to shake down a pale psychopath hiding out in a cave their date night. Naruto laughed to himself. Jiraya and Kakashi had both taught him a lot, but how to properly court a classy woman was something neither of them had a clue about, especially the former. Yet another thing he wished he had been able to talk to his late father about, though his mother and Hinata were vastly different.

With the picnic packed up and hoisted, in an admittedly effeminate fashion, Naruto set his sights on Orochimaru's hideout. Or lair, or base. It wasn't exactly a hideout anymore, the man could not use the bathroom without the village knowing. It was the price you paid though, after having on more than one occasion tried to destroy the village.

As Naruto neared the sanin's current residence he felt the familiar chakras. Orochimaru, of course was the loudest and most demanding, then there was Yamato, one Naruto enjoyed, and the rest of team Taka. The one time captain of team seven was standing a respectable distance from the only entrance of the domicile as Naruto approached him.  
"Ka- Lord Sixth sent a message you were coming. You made good time." Yamato reported as Naruto appeared by his side.

"Would have been faster. If you still have a hawk handy can you tell Kakashi-Sensei that it happened again. He'll know what it means."

"I can yeah. Wouldn't one of your toads be faster though?"

"Gamakichi is so ornery these days. He doesn't want me to summon him unless it's something important. This wouldn't be important enough for him." People calling them **his** toads had only just begun to feel normal.

"Right. No problem. I'll let him know. I trust you can find your way to him?" Yamato asked.

"Yeah, I could smell him a ways back now? Jugo in there?"

"Afraid so." Yamato almost laughed.

"Great. That guy may be creepier than Orochimaru." Naruto said as he made his way to the oversize wooden doors set in front of a great mound of earth.

The doors were obviously of Yamato's construction and were sound as any steel gate that could have been used. The base smelled damp and mildewy, Naruto was glad that Orochimaru's home was so uncomfortable. Naruto did not pretend to like the man.

The orange cloak of Kurama instinctually covered the young Uzumaki as he stepped inside. Orochimaru would know something and he would confess it to Naruto. A pair of malicious eyes fell on the blond shinobi as he strode down the long hallway. The chakra was expansive and he recognized it to be that of an Uzumaki.

"Karin. Don't start with me." Naruto commanded as he walked past his distant relative, lurking in one of the laboratories on the side of the hallway.

The red headed Uzumaki only scoffed. As if she would want to bother the blond, intruding in her home. She doubted that he knew anything about Sasuke's whereabouts that she did not.

Orochimaru was in an incredibly well furnished laboratory at the end of the corridor. Where he came into the money to furnish all the technology was a mystery to Naruto. Suigetsu was leaned across one such piece of expensive looking technology talking with Jugo who seemed uninterested in favor of petting a bird that was perched neatly on his shoulder.

"Nice basket." Suigetsu snipped.

"Shut up." Naruto retorted, adjusting the basket to look as manly as possible on his hip.

"What brings you by Uzumaki?" The snake himself asked from a cushy office chair.

"Save it Orochimaru. You don't know why? Anything shady rarely happens around the village that you don't know about." Naruto said harshly.

"You had best watch your tone when your in some body's home. Uninvited." Suigetsu interjected from his spot in the lab.

"Oh yeah?" Naruto challenged, Kurama scoffing inside him at the cur's insolence.

"Yeah." The watery man huffed simply.

"Please be quiet Suigetsu." Orochimaru attempted to smooth the situation over. "In all seriousness Naruto, what did you come to ask me about? I don't know."

"Two times now, I was attacked by young shinobi, apparently under a powerful genjutsu, who don't know why or where or what or anything. When Ino Yamanaka tried to probe the mind of one of them, his mind was messed up. The second one wasn't... shut off like that. He told me about the eyes."

"What. Was it a Sharingan? That sounds like something you should ask your friend. **We** are **not** friends as you so frequently remind me." Orochimaru somehow always managed to sound like he was in control.

"It wasn't a Sharingan. The eyes were blue, apparently like a clock. I don't know what that means." Naruto continued.

"Hmm. I don't recognize any blue eyes as having genjutsu abilities." The snake hissed.

"What about the part where their brains self destruct. Or using kids as assassins, that sounds like something you would recognize."

"Are you accusing us?" Suigetsu spat.

"Suigetsu! Quiet, he might kill you." Orochimaru chided, pointing his outspoken subordinate to the door.

"As if he could."

Jugo raised an eyebrow at Suigetsu, as if his friend had just called the ground the sky.

Suigetsu left in a huff, going off to undoubtedly bother Karin.

"Self destructing brains and child assassins. You gotta admit that sounds like something from the Blood Mist of old. If I were you I'd start there. There are still those who cling to the old ways, as there are in every village. Find some radicals, shake **them** down. That's all I have for you." Naruto was not convinced that was all the information the sanin had, but he would sooner kill Orochimaru than get anything out of him he did not want to tell.

"Alright. Thanks I guess. Have you seen Sasuke lately?" Naruto forced himself to ask the snake for yet another favor.

"Sasuke comes and goes as he pleases."

"Well if you see him, tell him to stop being such a jerk and come see Sakura. She worries about him." Naruto's tone softened, only slightly, as he spoke of his friends.

"Worries about him? He's-"

"She worries about him. I know first hand how capable he is of taking care of himself. That's all."

The one thing every shinobi in Orochimaru's cave agreed on was they were happy that Naruto was leaving. He had not come for a visit, he got what he needed, or at least a hint towards where to find it, and was on his way.

"I sent the Hawk to Lord Sixth." Yamato reported as Naruto emerged.

"Thanks captain Yamato. Be careful out here, I still don't trust those guys." Naruto admitted as the great wooden doors swung shut behind him.

"Yeah me either, they at least seem complacent here. I don't think they'll try anything for a long time. Not with Sasuke being loyal to the Leaf again."

Naruto smiled for the first time since parting with Hinata. He couldn't help it, those words still sounded to good to be true to him.

"We'll have to catch up some time captain, when you cycle back into the village for a break. It's been too long, but I have work." Naruto apologized as he vanished into the tree tops, heading back in the direction of the Leaf. Hoping that was the right way to the apothecary Kakashi needed him to stop by.

Hinata and her charge were met as son as they crossed into the land of Wind. The Hyuga was delighted to be met by a familiar face when Kankuro's painted face greeted her with a confused look at the entrance to the hidden village.

"Ms. Hyuga- It's not Mrs. Uzumaki yet is it? What brings you to the Sand?" Kankuro asked pleasantly.

"No, the wedding is not for a while. One of your young shinobi tried to kill the groom actually." The Hyuga's voice let Kankuro know that there was more to it than that.

"I'm sorry. Obviously the Kazekage and his people had nothing to do with it. We insist on helping the Leaf to investigate this crime. It will not go unpunished. Is this the traitor with you?" The painted man's tone was severe as he looked at the frightened young boy.

"Lord Kankuro, sir, I-"

"Reto didn't know what he was doing Kankuro, he was under some pretty high level genjutsu. Another young shinobi attacked Naruto back home only yesterday. I just wanted to make sure he made it home safely, and to let the Sand know that there's a dangerous shinobi on the loose." Hinata cut the young boy off, afraid the stern Kankuro would not listen to him.

"Oh. I think you should go see Gaara."

Kankuro sent the boy on his way to the infirmary, feeling the safety and assurance that came with being on familiar territory, Reto finally left Hinata's side. The Hyuga was escorted by Kankuro directly to the Kazekage's office. The red headed Gaara sat behind the neat desk knitting his fingers. The desk was not at all like Kakashi's poor kept work space, nothing was out of place and there was only the paper work that Gaara was currently working on. Kankuro took his place behind and to the left of Gaara.

His dark eyes lit up as a friend from the Leaf entered his office.

"Hinata. How are you? How's Naruto?" Gaara asked casually, almost forgetting that Hinata was a foreign visitor and he was the Kazekage.

"He's fending off assassins actually. So same as normal." Hinata laughed.

"What?" Gaara raised a single well defined eyebrow.

"Some genjutsu master is pitting young shinobi against him, hoping to take advantage of his soft demeanor. It's disgusting, he's at Orochimaru's now, shaking him down for information. I came to return a young shinobi belonging to the Sand. It seems he was taken advantage of. He doesn't remember by who. We already questioned him, I hope you don't take offense. We had no idea he was of the Sand when he found us."

"No of course not. It was your right to interrogate him. Is there anything you need from me? I assure you you'll have the Sand's full cooperation."

"I can't think of anything, I just wanted you to be aware of the situation. You should watch your academy students closely. Make sure no one tries anything more with them."

"Of course. What did you say the boy's name was?"

"Reto."

"That's a relief. I figured it must be him, he's been missing for some months. I'm so sorry it was a Sand shinobi Hinata. It will **not** happen again." The Kazekage promised.

"I'm sorry as well. Reto is a sweet boy, he didn't deserve that to happen to him." Hinata agreed, nothing but kindness in her voice.

"What will you do next? As far as this would be assassin goes?"

"I'm heading to an apothecary to meet back up with Naruto. Then back to the village, to report to Lord Sixth." Hinata was especially forthcoming to be talking to the leader of another village.

"Okay, Shikamaru and Temari are due to leave the village tomorrow heading back to the Leaf for diplomatic talks about the Sand hosting the chunin exams this year. I'll have them leave early, to accompany you." Gaara went on.

"No need to disrupt their schedule for my sake Kazekage. I'll be fine on my own."

"No offense intended, Hinata, but there's some rouge shinobi using children to get to Naruto. I'm sure they would leap at the opportunity to get to the person closest to him. It's safer for you to travel in a group. Please. For my sake. I would never be able to face him if something happened to you." The Kazekage pleaded with the woman from the Leaf.

"Okay. For you, when will they be ready?"

Gaara's sand slinked across the floor, wrapping itself around the door handle leading outside of his office. The sand pulled the door open, spilling Shikamaru and Temari into the room. Caught red handed, the pair of them were flush with embarrassment. Kankuro slapped his own forehead as the couple tumbled out onto the floor.

"Brother, we were just-"

"Are you ready to leave?" Gaara cut Temari off as she tried to explain herself.

"Yes. We're ready now." Shikamaru replied.

"Good. Kankuro will take you to the border. Do not leave her until you reach the Leaf Temari."

The blond woman nodded her head in understanding.


	4. Intentions

Naruto found what he believed to be the apothecary just before dark, after turning around several times. He had nearly never found it, only with the help of forty shadow clones did he manage. He promised to meet Hinata at the hot spring, having obviously beat her there he decided to see about procuring the medicine on his own.

The little shop really was between nowhere and a hole in the ground. Though the apothecary was isolated and small, it was incredibly well maintained and the property was manicured to perfection. Naruto walked confidently into the shop, hands behind his head. The clerk was nowhere to be found so the blond shinobi strode between the isles. Touching and smelling everything he could reach. A particularly foul smelling herb caused the young man to recoil, twisting his face in a terrible grimace.

"Keep making that face. It'll stick like that." A tiny and wrinkled old woman mocked him from where she had appeared behind the counter.

"Oh, hey granny." Naruto played the fright she had given him off as coolly as possible.

"I'm not your granny. Can I help you with something?" The woman chose to over look his familiar tone.

"Right, sorry." Naruto called as he continued to molest the strange herbs and medicines.

"Can I help you with something?" Irritation began to show itself in her voice.

"Uh, yes? The Hokage sent me to collect some special medicine from you. He sent me a note, but I don't have it." Naruto answered, realizing that Hinata still had Kakashi's dossier.

"I have it ready but I'm afraid I can't let you have it without the Hokage's note. It's made from a very rare and expensive herb. I likely won't come into any more for a long while. What happened to the paperwork?" The woman's tone smoothed over as she realized she was talking to a representative of the Hokage.

"It's with my fiance, well she's a ninja of the Leaf as well. We had to split up, she should be on her way." Naruto explained.

"Right, well when the paperwork arrives I'll send you on your way with the medicine. I hope it works, it's the most potent I've ever made. You can wait here if you'd like."

"Well I don't have anywhere else to go." Naruto said as he walked back to the counter, looking expectantly for a place to sit. "Can you tell me anything about the hot spring that's close to here? Kakashi-Sensei suggested I visit them." Naruto said, the devious smile returning to his face.

"The hot spring? Well I suppose you could use a bath." The old lady laughed at her joke. "Sure thing, they're only about twenty minutes from here, less for a shinobi. Just head west and you'll find them. They're actually very nice this time of year."

The bell on the door rang as three new chakras entered the little shop. Hinata, Shikamaru, and Temari had traveled restlessly to the apothecary, though they had never been to the shop it was no trouble to find. With Hinata's Byakugan and Naruto's beacon of chakra it was as easy as finding the village itself.

"Is this your fiance?" The old woman asked as the sandy and haggard Temari walked into the shop, ahead of the other two.

"No!" Temari and Naruto exclaimed simultaneously.

Shikamaru and Hinata nearly burst with laughter as they filed into the shop.

"Excuse me, I brought this from the Hokage for you. We were sent to retrieve the medicine." Hinata clarified.

"Alright then," The woman chortled as she took the paperwork, causing Naruto to show her an ugly look as she looked at Hinata then back at him then back at Hinata. "that's all I need." The woman showed Naruto an ugly look in return as she ducked below the counter.

She raised with a small envelope in her hand and a vial of purple luminescent powder. "There's instructions in here. I would just tell you how to use it, but I don't think you'd remember all the steps." She told Naruto pointedly.

"You can tell me if you'd like." Shikamaru offered.

"No. The paper work says only to discuss it with the blond there or the girl. If that's all you need from me, you can go. If you want to actually buy anything though, I'm here."

"No that's all. Granny."

Naruto hit the door at a full sprint. Twice was apparently the limit of times the old woman would accept being called granny and she assaulted Naruto with a flurry of books and her broom. He ungracefully tripped over his own feet as he made it onto the shop's porch and spilled out into the yard.

Shikamaru snickered as he offered his hand to his defeated friends. "Some things don't change, do they?" The Nara pondered as he helped Naruto off the ground.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto pouted as Hinata dusted his clothes off.

"How are you buddy?" Shikamaru asked with bright eyes.

"I'm good. How's the job treating you?"

"It's a drag. Between you and me, I hand the Sand." Shikamaru confided after making sure that Temari was out of earshot and invested in her conversation with Temari.

"Sunagakure is a lot more fun now that Gaara has been Kazekage for a while. What don't you like about it?" Naruto asked.

"No, the village is fine. It's the literal sand, it chaps my skin and stays in my shorts. That and I haven't seen little Mirai and Kurenai in far too long. What about you? Been taking it easy I guess."

"Yeah. That's really all there is for me to do anymore. Hinata and Iruka-Sensei say I should enjoy it, and I do. It's just..."

"It's boring." Shikamaru acknowledged.

"Exactly! Don't you think?" Naruto exclaimed.

"No I don't think. Fighting and training is such a drag, I spend my time walking between the villages with Temari and playing Shogi. That's enough for me. But I can see **you** being bored. Peace is good though, you've got a wedding to tackle and I'm sure soon you'll be taking on students. One day, who knows, you may actually be the Hokage." Shikamaru used a tone he had once heard Asuma use.

"You're just too lazy to be bored Shikamaru. But hey listen, me and Hinata are going to go see a hot spring, so do you mind taking this medicine back to Kakashi-Sensei? We could be a while." Naruto finished sleazily.

"Now a hot spring? That's what peace time has to offer. Oi, Temari. Naruto knows where a hot spring is, do you want to go, wash the sand off?"

The girl showed her party a rare bout of enthusiasm in her answer. "Of course. Taking a bath is always the first thing you should do when you get out of the land of Wind, sand gets everywhere."

Naruto made a familiar high pitched moan as he realized he and Hinata would have company. The four of them followed the old lady's directions, the small vial now tucked neatly away in Naruto's jacket, until they reached a bath house. Naruto had not expected to find a full fledged bathhouse and was thoroughly disappointed to realize that it was not coed.

The bathhouse was old and chic, Naruto believed that Kakashi had been there in his childhood. The attendant was young and seemed eager to greet the four shinobi as they walked through the door. She was obviously the daughter of the owner. The place smelled of clean water and was dimly lit, Naruto began plotting as soon as they spoke to the attendant.

"Boys to the left, girls on the right. Take as long as you like." The attendant instructed.

Naruto and Shikamaru grumbled in unison as they made a left turn into the bath hall as the girls went right. Turning back was not an option now, the girls had decided they wanted to visit the hot spring and Naruto and Shikamaru would have to bear with it.

"I got to say Shikamaru, this wasn't how I pictured this trip." Naruto claimed, plopping down into the therapeutic water.

"This isn't my dream trip to a hot spring with Temari either. Just so you know."

Naruto couldn't stifle his laughter.

"So seriously though. What's this business with kids trying to kill you. It sounds like you've pissed off some sort of cult." Shikamaru addressed the elephant in the room freely, it was iffy to talk about people trying to kill Naruto in front of Hinata.

"Beats me. Once at home and once in the forest between the Leaf and the border with the Sand. They really are just kids, they didn't have a chance at killing me. I don't understand what it is they're after."

Shikamaru took a deep breath, making himself comfortable and knitting his hands in his usual way. "Who does stand a chance? At killing you? Sasuke. Anyone else?"

"It's not Sasuke, that's over."

"I know, I'm not accusing him. I'm asking you, who besides him could ever hope to get the job done?" Shikamaru couldn't help be irritated at Naruto for not seeing what he saw.

"No one." Naruto was trying to peak over to wall into the girl's side as he answered humbly.

"So that leaves us-" Shikamaru stopped himself as a shadow strolled across the wall of the men's bath hall. The chakra was unfamiliar but barely developed. "I think you have another fan wanting to pay his respects Naruto." Shikamaru said, motioning his eyes to behind him where the two had entered the room.

"This is such a hassle."

The young boy moved out into the open quickly and nervously. Before he could make a sound he was wrapped up by Shikamaru's shadow possession. Naruto lazily formed a shadow clone who walked over to the boy, preventing Naruto from having to get dressed.

"Come to kill me?" The second Naruto asked confidently.

"What!" The kid cried.

Upon hearing the child's voice, Naruto and Shikamaru both realized their error. Shikamaru released the boy and Naruto's clone disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Hey sorry kid. Don't cry." Shikamaru pleaded as the boy was dangerously close to doing just that.

"Why would I want to kill you? I just wanted to meet you. You're the hero right? The one who saved the world?"

"Hey! That's me kid, I saved the world." Naruto reported indignantly.

"What? Oh I'm sorry. You're Uzumaki?" The boy asked.

"The one and only." The blond shinobi replied coolly, one fan at a time was a completely different from a horde back at the village. He would be glad to play the part of celebrity.

"Really? Can you help me become a great shinobi?" The scraggly kid asked unashamed. He stood straight as he asked, completely erasing the visage of the snot nosed kid on the verge of tears.

"Sorry kid, I'm not really doing the Sensei thing yet. I'm afraid I can't help you."

"No, that's not what I'm asking for. Can you let me kill you Uzumaki?" The child's eyes became riddled with blue specks as the young Sunagakure shinobi had described.

Naruto and Shikamaru had to pick there jaws off the ground when the kid droned the words off. Shikamaru recovered far quicker and resumed his possession jutsu. The kid had no hope of breaking free from the Shikamaru's technique, though he had no intentions to. Shikamaru's jutsu caused to boy's robe to flutter open, revealing a myriad of paper bombs. The boy sent a burst of chakra through them, igniting the fuse of the bombs.

"Naruto!" Shikamaru ordered.

Naruto sprang forward without a second thought, showing Shikamaru entirely too much of himself. The boy couldn't resist Naruto, still being under the possession jutsu, Naruto ripped the bomb covered wrap off of the boy and shrouded himself in Kurama's cloak.

Naruto burst through the wall of the hot spring, taking it back through the lobby was a non starter. He hit the cold earth on his shoulder and flung the bombs as far as he could. The meager explosion bounced inconsequentially off of Naruto's defensive chakra.

The boy fainted after the explosion. Shikamaru, wrapped in a towel, stepped through the hole in the wall Naruto had punched. Wide eyed and mortified, Shikamaru observed the crater the mass of paper bombs had made. He knew, that explosion would have killed him easily.

Shikamaru had only just found the words he was searching for when a great gust of wind exploded the wall coming from the girl's room. Shikamaru felt his hand travel instinctually to his temples, of course Temari would take her fan into the hot spring. He was glad she did however, as a four female assassins clad in their shinobi uniforms were cast out onto the ground, in a fashion similar to Naruto.

"Don't just stand there. Finish this." Temari was talking to Naruto, it irritated Shikamaru slightly that Temari would ask him to defeat the assassins rather than himself.

"This is getting out of hand." Naruto turned away from Temari, in order to be able to form the hand seal required without covering himself.

The assassins lunged for the blond man but it was futile. The four of them were met by four shadow clones, all wielding massive Rasengans. They were buried into the ground, face first, by the oversize jutsu. Having handily defeated the attackers, Naruto slunk back into the bathhouse and covered himself with a barely big enough robe. Shikamaru had put the kid under with some genjutsu or perhaps a blow to the head and Naruto had to step over him. He was preparing to interrogate the attackers but his heart lurched as Temari carried Hinata out of the bathhouse. Her clean and vibrant eyes were riddled with unnatural blue specks and her breathing was labored.

Shikamaru braced himself as Temari explained.

"She got hit by some strange kunai. I don't know what kind of-"

"Where are her things? Sakura sent a scroll with us, it has antidotes and medicines."

"I don't think it's poison Naruto." Shikamaru pointed out.

"What else could it be!" Naruto growled as he helped make Hinata comfortable against a tree stump.

"It's genjutsu. It's screaming in my head." Hinata's voice was barely audible.

"Break it Naruto." Temari said with a fearful look towards her friend.

"Okay, just some chakra then?" Naruto asked Shikamaru hesitantly.

Shikamaru only had a shrug to offer, his mind was a million miles away. Naruto made for his fiance, stretching out his hand to impart a piece of his chakra onto her.

"Don't!" She snapped, recoiling from Naruto's hand.

"What? What's wrong?" He stammered.

"Don't touch me. I'm sorry, not you." Her voice was unfamiliar and cold.

"Hinata what's wrong?" Temari asked, giving Naruto a sympathetic look.

"He won't let Naruto touch me. He's-"

"Who!" Naruto spat.

"The one behind it all, he's in my head Naruto. I don't know what he'll have me do. He's eating away at my will. You have to get away from me." Hinata's words were becoming more and more strained.

"Shikamaru what do I do?"

"I don't know Naruto."

Hinata collapsed on the ground, losing her struggle with the invasive genjutsu. Once she was under and her condition was no longer plaguing Shikamaru's thoughts, or at least to less of an extent, and the Nara was able to weigh all of the options against each other. The sixth Hokage was far better schooled in breaking genjutsu than anyone there. Though the genjutsu had a strange side effect, anyone attempting to break the spell would instead break the victims mind. Kakashi would never dive haphazardly into treating Hinata after he had seen what happened to the boy back home.

"One person can help her." Shikamaru knew Naruto would catch on to his line of thought.

"He's not here. She needs help now." Naruto argued.

"There's no help here. We don't know how long she has, or if this is even reversible. The best course of action is taking her back to the village, which me and Temari will gladly do, you have to go and find-"  
"What if you're attacked again on the way? These people can find me anywhere, if I'm not around."

"If you're not around I don't think they'll be able to find **us**. And if they do you'll just have to trust us to protect her in your place."

Hinata choked on her own spit as the two shinobi talked, causing Naruto's panic to heighten and his eyes to become wide and wild.

"Relax. She's stronger than your giving her credit for. We'll take her straight home and the package for Lord Sixth."

"I don't want to leave her-"

"You have to! You have to go right now, get dressed and leave. Go find Sasuke, you're the only one who can. Or Hinata's mind will be broken just like the boy who attacked you in the leaf. We're your friends, trust us and go find him." Temari ordered, forgoing the gentle tone Shikamaru had adopted.

Naruto growled, but the blond girl was right. He retrieved his clothes from the locker room and handed the package for Kakashi over to Shikamaru. The Nara slung Hinata over his shoulder while Temari carried the boy.

"What about them?" Naruto asked, kicking one of the downed assassins.

"Well, do you want us to take them or Hinata back to the village? I'll have Anbu come back as soon as we get home but I suspect they'll have cleared out by then. They're good we can't bind them and expect-"

"It's fine. They're not important. I'm going to find Sasuke and then whoever is responsible for this... I'm going to kill them." Naruto abstained from touching Hinata before she was carried off by Shikamaru.

There was one way fro Naruto to find Sasuke, a signal that only the two of them knew, in fear of Sakura or the Hokage bothering Sasuke with trivial things. The blond shinobi made a mad dash for the final valley, or what was left of it. To get in contact with Sasuke in case of emergency Naruto knew to go to the valley and fire off a massive tailed beast bomb. Sasuke would make haste for the village as soon as he was able.

As he leapt for his next tree branch a feeling of deja vu washed over him. A man in a mask waiting on him did not hold the same wow factor it once did. This man was no Obitio Uchiha, Naruto was not afraid of him. His chakra was weak and his appearance was less than threatening. Naruto did not slow down nor did he hesitate once he decided the man was connected to his fiance's condition. He leveled his shoulder and attempted to crash into the man. Naruto passed through the man and struggled to catch himself on the next tree branch. That much was reminiscent of the troubled Uchiha.

"Please refrain from trying to fight my projection Uzumaki." The man chided in a distorted voice.

"Who are you?" Naruto demanded.

"Why does that matter? Are you not more interested in what I plan to do, what is happening to your fiance, or how to stop me?" The short man's voice chilled Naruto to the bone.

"Sure. Tell me all that then."

The man laughed as if an old friend had just told him a joke.

"I-"

The man was cut off as terrible whistling sound signaled a Rasenshuriken racing for him. The jutsu passed uninhibited through him, leveling a small grove of trees behind the man. The man shook his head in disbelief.

"You do not that I'm not actually here. And while your friend would be able to find out where I am from this projection, you do not have that capability. So, will you listen to what I have to say?" The masked man asked politely.

"You listen first. When I find you, I'm going to rip you apart. Why are you sending children after me? Why are you brainwashing people?"

"All the more reason to make sure you never find me."

"I will."

"As for the why. The answer is the same as it always is, revenge."

"What could I have done to you? I don't even know you." Naruto ground out.

"Ah yes. The arrogance of a hero. You're so busy saving your village, or the world, or those you love that you never stop to think about who you're stepping on in the process. You made your choices, you saved what you wanted and I wasn't able to. But now... Now at least I'm able to avenge those **I** loved."

"Look. I'm sorry if I hurt someone of yours. Hinata, these kids, the Leaf, and my friends have nothing to do with it. Settle this like a true shinobi. Fight me."

"Naruto you must think I'm as big of an idiot as you are. You would destroy me in a fight. I know that. What are your weaknesses though? For one your friends, they're terribly weak. And it's contagious." The man raised a finger as if he were giving a lecture.

"Is that all then? Why come here? To gloat, well save your breath. I'm going to stop you."

"It's cathartic. This is all just too therapeutic for me. And to give you a chance you never gave me. Spend your time with those you love wisely. I'm coming for them all, and then you. Think about what you have done, if you realize it I may give you a chance to repent before I cut you down."

Before Naruto could snap his reply the man faded from existence, leaving him alone in the forest leaking furious orange chakra. A million thoughts raced through his head. He was almost certain he had never killed anyone worth avenging. None of this seemed fair. That was his lot though, it always had been. At least now Sasuke would be happy to help him and there was nothing the two of them couldn't do. No one they couldn't beat.


End file.
